Personnel: Charlie Monroe (vocals, guitar); Orne H. Osborne (vocals, guitar, electric guitar, mandolin); Clyde Carl Baum (vocals, mandolin); James "Slim" Martin (vocals, fiddle, harmonica, tenor saxophone); Don Helms (tenor, steel guitar); Howard Watts (baritone); Gerald M. Rivers (bass voice, fiddle); Tex Isley (guitar, electric guitar); Joe Medford (guitar, banjo); Robert C. McNett, Grady Martin, Harold Bradley, Bill Callahan (guitar); Robert Lee "Bob" Foster (steel guitar); Curly Seckler, Ira Louvin, Red Rector, Zeke Morris (mandolin); Thomas Lee Jackson Jr., Paul Prince (fiddle); Owen Bradley (piano).
Liner Note Author: Richard K. Spottswood.
Recording information: Andrew Jackson Hotel, Rock Hill, SC (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); Bradley Film & Recording, Nashville, TN (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); Brown Radio Productions, Nashville, TN (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); Castle Studio At The Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); Fox Theatre Building, Atlanta, GA (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); New York, NY (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); Piedmont Hotel, Atlanta, GA (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); RCA Studio A, Chicago, IL (09/29/1938-08/03/1956); RCA Victor Studio, New York, NY (09/29/1938-08/03/1956).
Authors: Curly Seckler; Ernest Ferguson; Johnnie Wright; Mac Wiseman; Wade Mainer; Raymond Davis; Charlie Monroe.
Illustrators: David Freeman ; Richard K. Spottswood; Penny Parsons; R.A. Andreas; Campbell Mercer; Tommy Scott ; Buddy Hogan; Sylvia Monroe; Gordon Parker; Raymond Davis; Pete Kuykendall.
Photographers: David Freeman ; Richard K. Spottswood; Penny Parsons; R.A. Andreas; Campbell Mercer; Tommy Scott ; Buddy Hogan; Sylvia Monroe; Gordon Parker; Raymond Davis; Pete Kuykendall.
Arranger: Charlie Monroe.
While history has virtually ignored Charlie Monroe in light of his brother Bill's seismic accomplishments, this comprehensive box set reveals a career deserving of serious respect in its own right. I'M OLD KENTUCKY BOUND: HIS RECORDINGS 1938-1956 covers practically everything in the Charlie Monroe solo catalog including his entire stints on RCA Victor, Bluebird, and Decca in a beautifully packaged four-disc set that is accompanied by an informative 60-page booklet. A must-have for the Bluegrass completist and for fans of rootsy WWII-era entertainment.
Professional Reviews
Dirty Linen (p.40) - "Charlie's high, sweet vocals shine on tunes like 'Rosa Lee McFall'....[A] musical trip back in time revisiting an unsung hero of bluegrass and country music."
